The present invention relates to developing software and more particularly to software debugging.
A debugging tool is a computer program used to test computer software and find and resolve defects (i.e., bugs) that prevent the computer software from operating correctly. Known debugging tools support various debugging functions, including single-stepping (i.e., running a program step by step; also known as program animation), breaking the program at a specified event or instruction by means of a breakpoint, and tracking the values of variables. Some known debugging tools can modify the state of a computer program while the program is running. Known debugging tools may have the ability to continue execution of the computer program being debugged at a different location in the program to avoid a crash or logical error. The debugging function of single-stepping executes code of a software program one line at a time (i.e., step by step). A programmer who employs single-stepping observes the state of a software program before and after execution of a particular line of code, thereby allowing an evaluation of the effects of the statement or instruction specified by the line of code and an analysis of the behavior of the executing program.